Awesome Dinner

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo Sausage, Potatoes and Carrots

This recipe I found on Pinterest, and it turned out great. Got to love one pan meals. I changed it a bit and added carrots to the original recipe.

2 tablespoons regular olive oil
8 chicken thighs (bone in, with skin)
1 lb chorizo sausages, whole if baby ones, or cut into 4-cm chunks if regular-sized
10 baby potatoes, cut in half
1 bag of baby carrots
1 sweet onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
grated zest of one orange
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the 1 tbsp of oil in the bottom of roasting pan (I used large jelly roll baking tray). Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil, season with salt accordingly, place them skin-side up. Divide the chorizo sausages, carrots and the new potatoes between the 2 tins.

Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then grate the orange zest over the arranged contents. Cook for 30 minutes and baste the contents with the orange-colored juices. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes or till chicken is done.

Thanksgiving

Once again it is the time of the year when the air seems fresher, our surroundings seem more beautiful and we find ourselves wanting to stay in bed longer. The leaves this year were brilliant, especially the reds and oranges. Just beautiful. Yesterday I made a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that turned out to be delicious, so here is the recipe and happy thanksgiving.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cups dark chocolate chips
3/4 cups walnut pieces

In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

One Tall Shortcake

This cake was delicious and so easy. It was very light after a big dinner. Once again Pinterest comes through on the recipes. Summer is coming to an end and I must start sewing more than baking! Maybe I will even lose a pound or two.

Ingredients:
for the cake-
6 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

for the cream-
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of half of a lemon

6 cups blueberries, strawberries and raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, eggs {1 at a time}, yogurt and milk. Scrape edges and mix again until smooth. Pour in all dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape edges and mix by hand to ensure batter is evenly mixed. Pour into greased half sheet pan and smooth out into one even layer. Bake 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool 30 minutes.

For the cream, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla together until stiff peaks start to form. Whip in lemon zest briefly and set aside.

To assemble the cake, cut cooled cake into 4 small rectangular pieces. Try to do this as evenly as possibly. Place one piece of cake onto serving platter. Top with one fourth of the cream. Top with 1 1/2 cups raspberries. Top with another piece of cake. Top with more cream and blueberries. Top with another piece of cake. Top with more cream and strawberries. Top with last piece of cake. Spread with remaining cream and any remaining berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baking Again

These cookies are delicious. Bought some Ontario strawberries today and made these, they are worth making.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling over the cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and remaining sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and fragrant.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the zest/sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Add the cream to the bowl and stir until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in the strawberry mixture.

Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool. The cookies are best the day they're made, but can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Source: From Pink Parsley Catering.

Back to healthy eating

I recently found a recipe for healthy cookies that has no sugar, butter or flour in them. I adapted it to my liking. You can really add in what you like. They are great for that sweet craving without all the bad crap in them.

Mix together 3 pureed ripe bananas, two cups of oats, 1 apple diced, 1/2 cup of walnuts (or whatever nuts you like), 1 tsp of cinnamon, splash of vanilla, 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Scoop onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden.

They aren't the most attractive cookie, but they hit the spot without too many calories. And they are good for you.

Pizza, Mmmmmm

This summer I have made some really amazing pizzas. This BBQ Chicken pizza was especially delicious. I used a whole wheat dough, and barbequed a couple chicken breasts (with bone in - they have much more flavour than boneless) with a bit of your favourite bbq sauce, as well as I carmelized an Vidella onion ( which I did on a the bbq on a tray, slice your onion super thin toss with a bit of oil and when they are translucent add a tbsp or two of sugar and continue until they are golden). I cut up my chicken and tossed it in a bowl with bbq sauce until nice and coated. I used president choice's Smokin Habanero sauce. Spread the chicken over the dough and add the carmelized onions and top with grated mozzeralla and provolone. Bake at 425 until done. I have also made them directly on the bbq grill ( you bbq your dough first in smaller rounds and then top them with the ingredients and put them back directly on the grill to bake the cheese.)

Fall Cooking

I watched my son's football game today. It was chilly sitting out in the damp, sunless day. I came home and tried a new recipe from Donna Hay's Seasons cookbook, out of the Autumn section. I made the Steak, Onion and Red wine pie. It was delicious.

Despite it took me a few hours to make, I would definitely make it again.

The world's best turkey burgers! Someone wanted this recipe so I am posting it here:

3 green onions sliced
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1 1/2 green apples, finely chopped
splash of canola oil
2lbs ground turkey
ground pepper
1 tsp chiptole tabasco sauce
1/2 lemon juiced, 1tsp grated zest
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp chutney (I use mango)



Saute the onion, celery and apple using the canola oil just until tender. Let cool. Mix the turkey with all the remaining ingredients and then add the apple mixture.




Form into burgers. Refridgerate for at least two hours.

Barbeque on a medium heat for about 7 minutes a side or until meat is cooked through.
Enjoy! These taste so good we have them more than regular burgers. You can make them up ahead of time and just throw them on the grill. Serve them with a bun and some chutney.

I made my famous Thai Chicken Pizza last night. It is a family favourite around here. Here is the recipe for one, but you might need two:

1 pizza dough

1 cup Peanut Sauce (I use PC's Memories of Szechwan, Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce)

1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

mozzerella cheese

cooked chicken

2 green onions, sliced

Prepare dough, mix peanut sauce with peanut butter and spread over dough (use as much as you like), just like you would a sauce. Load on chicken, green onions and cheese. Bake in 425 degree oven until pizza is done.

Then sprinkle the following toppings on and enjoy!!

Topping (give or take measurements):

shredded carrot- 1/4 cup

bean sprouts - handful

chopped peanuts 2tbsp

chopped cilantro- 1 tbsp

1/4 lime - squeeze juice over pizza (optional)